Toy vehicle



July 31, 1928 Filed lla rch 15. 19 2s 5 Sheets -Sheet l 9'6 5 42 37 0 28INVENTIOR a; g 1 [J 3'4 27 L 55 8 70 BY g g E, j ATTORNEY July 31, 1928.

' J. F. OBRIEN TOY VEHICLE Filed March 15, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l L AINVEljTOR;

Jilmes ROBflefl; 2?

.ATORNEY INVEN'TOR Jm'es 0517 BY 6g 6; A+T RNEYM s Sheets-Sheet 5 BRIENJ. F. O

TOY VEHICLE File'd March 15, 1926 July 31, 1928.

J. F. O'BRIEN TO? VEHICLE Filed March 15, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENIORJmes E'UBrven.

A TToRNEY Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES JAMES F. OIBRIEN, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

roY VEHICLE.

Application filed March 15, 1926. Serial No. 94,745.

The present invention relates to that type of toy vehicle known as amobile hobby horse and the fundamental object thereof is the provisionof a manually propelled toy horse readily and quickly convertible fromthe wheeled type to the caterpillar type, or the reverse, whereby suchtoy horse may be used in the open air at all seasons and for propulsionupon any kind of surface under the complete and positive braking anddirec tional control of the operator at all times and at variable speedsas desired.

' contemplated by this invention is the pro vision of a mobile toy horseembodying improvements directed particularly to the several manuallyoperablepropelling mechanisms thereof, which include a propellingmechanism. operable by the hobbling movements of the operator or rideracting upon an oscillative saddle seat interconnected therewith, saidmechanism embodying novel and noiseless ratchet mechanism to convert theoscillative movement of said saddle seat into continuous rotation of thedriving wheels of said horse; a propelling mechanism operable bydownward pressure exerted by the operator upon reciprocative stirrupsinterconnected therewith, said mechanism also embodying novel andnoiseless ratchet mechanism to convert the reciprocative movement ofsaid stirrups into continuous rotation of the driving wheels of saidhorse; novel steering mechanism for the horse; brake mechanism therefor;and novel caterpillar mechanism to propel the horse upon snow, ice, orother. slippery surfaces, all of which are important objects of. myinvention and are to be correlated in the broad aim of enhancing theefficiency of the device for general use.

The above and additional objects which will hereinafter be morespecifically treated, are attained by such means as are shown in theaccompanying drawings, described in the following specification and thenmore clearly pointed out in the claims, which are appended hereto andform part of this application.

lVith reference to the drawings wherein is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, with several modified forms thereof, andthroughout the several views of which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the toy lcrorse comprehended by mypresent invenion;

2 is a topv plan thereof;

Fig. 3 1s a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section of the same takenthrough 3+3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 1, 5 and 6 are transverse vertical sections taken through 4.4;5-5; and 6+6, respectively, of Fig. 1;

F 1g." 7 is a horizontal section taken through 77 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transversev vertical section taken through 88 ofFig. 7;

Fig. is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section taken through 9-9 ofFig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a similar section taken through 10- 10 of Fig. 7;

' Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a modified form of toy horse;

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section taken through 1212 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary longitudinal ver- 11u2cal section taken through13-13 of Fig.

Fig. 14: is a transverse vertical section taken through ll-l l of Fig.11;

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of another modified form of toy horse; 2

Fig. 16 is a horizontal. section taken through 1616 of Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertlcal section taken through1717 of Fig. 16;

Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section taken through 1818 of Fig. 15;

.Fig. 19is a side elevation of still another modified form of toy horse;

Flg. 20 is a horizontal section taken through 2020 of Fig. 19; i

Fig. 21 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section taken through21-21 of Fig. 20; and

7 Figs. 22, 23 and 24 are fragmentary trans verse vertical sectionstaken through 22-22;

23-23; and 24-24, respectively, of Fig. 19.

The numeral 25 designates a mobile toy horse having a hollow body 26,hollow fore and hind legs 27 and 28, respectively, and a head 29, all ofwhich may be integrally fabricated from wood, magnesite (magnesiumchloride) orany other suitable material.

An oscillative saddle seat 30 is hingedly connected at the forward endthereof by a hinge pin 31 to the withers 32 of the toy horse, and uponthe underside adjacent the rear end is pivotally connected, by a. de-

pending link 33 extending within the body 26, slotted thereat toaccommodate the same, to the bifurcated rear end of a rearwardlyextending ratchet lever having a cylindrical casing integrally formedupon the opposite or forward end thereof and concentrically mounted, orfulcrumed, thereat for independent oscillative movement upon atransversely disposed main shaft 36 ournalled for rotation at the endsthereof within the side walls of the body 26, as shown more clearly inFigs. 5 and 7.

Splined or keyed tothe main shaft 36 midway the length of the same is adrive gear 37 having integral ratchet wheels 38 and 39 formed upon thesides thereof, said ratchet wheel. 38 being normally enclosed within andby the cylindrical, casing interposed between the inner walls of thecasing and the teeth of the ratchet wheel 38 is a series of rollers orballs 40, which function as dogs therebetween to interlock the casingand wheel, when the ratchet, lever 235 is moved in the directionindicated by thearrows in Figs. 8 and 9, whereby the drive gear 87 isintermittently rotated in the same general direction, and which functionto unlock the casing from the ratchet wheel during the reverse andindependent rotative i'novemcnt of said casing upon said ratchet wheel.when the ratchet lever is moved in a direction opposite to thatindicated.

The ratchet wheel 39 is enclosed in an identical manner and for asimilar purpose by a cylindrical casing 41 formed upon the rear end of aforwardly extending ratchet lover concentrically mounted, or fulcruined,thereat for independent oscillativc movement upon the main shaft 36.Rollers or balls 43 interposed between the teeth of the ratchet wheel.39 and the casing; l-lseij've and function to alternatel J interlockand unlock the casing and ratchet wheel during; oscillativc movement ofthe ratchet lever 42 in substantially the same manner, as .iereinbeforedescribed for the lever 34-.

Set collars fixedly secured upon the main shaft 36 serve to retain theratchet levers 3 k and -42 against axial movement upon said main shaftand function to maintain the correlated cylindrical casings thereof innormally abutting relation with the v drive gear 37 and associatedratchet wheels thereof, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 8.

Reciprocative stirrup cables 4.5 are connected at the forward loopedends thereof to the bifurcated forward end of the ratchet lever 42 andextend ru iwardly and divergently therefrom to pass over guide sheaves46, rotatively mounted upon the forward end wall of the body 26, fromwhence they extend rearwardly and diver-gently to pass through openingst? formed in the upper side'portions of said body, substantially midwaythe length thereof wherefrom they eattend downwardly and at their lowerrear terminals are provided with reciprocative stirrups 41-8, of anywell known form.

The ratchet levers 34L and 42 are of identical construction and are eachprovided with a helical compression spring 49 mounted upon an arcuaterod 50 fixedly secured at the upper end within the upper portion of thebody 26, whcrefrom said rod extends downwardly to pass through andslidably receive thereon the suitably apertured correlated leverthereof. The springs 49 serve to return the levers 3e and 41-2 to aninoperative position following each power stroke and to n'iinimize shockor undue wear upon the mechanisms associated therewith during the returnstrokes thereof resilient pads or cushions 51 are mounted upon thereturn terminals of the rods 50, all as substantiallyv illustrated inFig. 3.

Normally meshing with the drive gear 37 is a pinion fixedly secured upona transversely disposed counter-shaft 53 journalled for rotation at theends thereof within the side walls of the body 26 below the main shaft36 and in spaced parallel relation thereto. The countenshaft- 53 isconnected by chain gearing; 54c to a driveshaft 55 journalled forrotation at the ends thereof within the side wallsof the rear portion ofthe body'QG, which drive shaft is similarly connected by chain gearing56 midway the length thereof to a rear axle shaft 57 journalled forrotation adjacent its outwardly projecting ends within the lower portionof the hind legs 28 of the toy horse and having rear driving wheels 58fixedly secured upon said ends in any well known manner.

Mounted upon the drive shaft 55, in an obvious manner, is a brakemechanism 59, of well known form, connected by a forwardly extendingarticulated brake rod (30 to a pommel-shaped hand brake lever 61pivotally mounted upon the hinge pin 31 and extending within the body 26slotted thereat to accommodate the same.

The head 29 of the toy horse 52-5 is provided with a bridle 62, the bitportions of which are connected by reins 63 to the ends of anoscillative steering; lever (ll i'xedly secured midway its length upon avertically dis ing lever 64 project or extend outwardly which latterextends rearwardly to a point within convenient reach of the operator orrider of the toy horse 25.

To render the several propelling mechanisms and correlated parts thereofenclosed within the body 26 readily accessible for assembly, repairs, orreplacement the underside of said body is provided with a removableportion or section 70 normally and detachably secured to such body, byscrews 71, as shown more clearly in Fig 5.

lVith the operator or rider seated in the saddle 30 and with the feet ofsame supported in the reciprocative stirrups 48, the rlevice ispropelled forwardly by hobbling movements of the body of said operatoracting alternately upon the saddle 30 and the stirrups 48, causingalternate oscillative move ments of the ratchet levers 34: and 42,whereby intermittent rotativemovement is imparted to the drive gear 37and substantially continuous rotary motion. is imparted to the pinion 52meshing therewith, which motion is imparted to the rear axle shaft 57through and is geared up by the chain gearing and 56 to rotate said rearaxle shaft at a considerable greater speed than the said pinion 52,whereby the device is driven or propelled forwardly at reasonablespeeds.

' The device is steered by the operator manipplating the steering rein69 in an obvious manner.

In Figs. 11 tel l, inclusive, a mobile toy horse is illustrated, whereina. single propel.- ling mechanism of a slightly modified form andoperable by an oscillative saddle seat is employed.

The numeral 72 designates the body of the llOlSOglO the withers of whichan oscil' lative saddle 73 is hingedly connected by a hinge pin 7 4i.Integrally connected or otherwise fixedly secured to the underside ofthe saddle 73 adjacent the forward end therenectcd the forward upperterminal. of a reciprocative sprocket chain 79, wherefrom said chainextends rearwardly to pass over an oscillative sprocket pinion 80mounted for independent movement upon a drive shaft 81 journalled forrotation at the ends thereof within the side walls of the rear portionof the body 72. The sprocket chain 79 passes under said sprocket pinion80and extends forwardly therefrom and at the forward lower end isconnected by a retracting spring 84 to the forward Wall of the body 72.

The oscillative sprocket pinion 80 is provided upon the inner sidethereof with an integral inwardly projecting cylindrical casing 83normally enclosing a ratchet wheel 84 integrally formed upon a sprocketwheel 85, both of which are splined or keyed to the drive shaft 81.Balls or rollers 86 interposed between the walls of the casing 83 andthe teeth of the ratchet wheel 84; serve and. function to alternatelyinterlock and unlock said casing and wheel during oscillative movementsof the casing, as will be manifest and apparent by referring to 'Fig.13, wherein a portion of the casing 83, is broken away to disclose therelative disposition of the several parts of the ratchet mechanism.

Sprocket gearing 87 connects the drive shaft 81 to a rear axle shaft 88journalled adjacent the outwardly projecting ends thereof within thelower portion of the hind legs of the horse and is provided upon suchends with reardriving wheels 89 fixedly secured thereto in an obviousmanner.

purpose, as hereinbefore described for the steering gear of the horse25, said steering gear 92 includinga front axle 98 detachably securedthereto having front wheels .94 rotatively mounted upon the endsthereof.

The horse is provided with depending stirrups 95 flexibly connected andsecured in any well known manner to the body 72 substantially midway thelength and adjacent the upper portion thereof, andv is also proided uponthe underside of the.said body with a removable section 96' detachablysecured thereon in the same manner and for the same purposeashereinbefore set forth for the section of the body 26.

lVith the operator seated in the saddle 73 and with the feet of samesupported in the stirrups 95, the device is propelled forwardly byhobbling movements of the operators body acting upon the said saddle 73causing oscillative motion of the same and the correlated sector-shapedgear thereof, which latter being in mesh with the pinion 76 concurrentlyrotates said pinion and the sprocket pinion 80 in mesh with the chain.

79 is rotated with the integral cylindrical casing 83 thereof, in thedirection aforesaid,

whereupon the rollers 86 interlock the casing 83 with the ratchet wheel84 to impa t continuous rotative movement to the sprocket wheel 85,which movement is geared up by and is imparted to the rear axle shaft 88by the chain gearing 87 to propel the device forwardly at a reasonablespeed. Following each power stroke of the saddle 73, the retractingspring 82 functions to reverse the movement of the sprocket pinion 80,chain 79, sheave 78, pinion 76, the sector shaped gear 75 and the saddle73, to return the same to the retracted position illustrated in 13.During reverse movements of the sprocket pinion 80 and the correlatedcylindrical casing 83 thereof the rollers 86 are seated within the rootsof the teeth of the ratchet wheel 84 to thereby unlock said cylindricalcasing 83 from said ratchet wheel 8 1 and permit the cylindrical casingto retate freely and independently thereon.

In Figs. 15 to 18, inclusive, amobile toy horse is illustrated, whereina single propelling mechanism of a further modified form and operable byreciprocative stirrups is employed.

The numeral 97 designates the body of the horse having a stationarysaddle 98, which may be formed integral therewith, or other wise fixedlysecured thereto. Journalled at the ends thereof for oscillation withinthe side walls of the body 97 midway the length of same is atransversely disposed main shaft 99 having a forwardly extendingsectorshaped gear 100 fixedly secured thereto and normally meshing witha pinion 101 splined or keyed to a countershaft 102 journalled foroscillation at the ends thereof within the side walls of the body 97 inspaced parallel relation to the main shaft 99 and adjacent the forwardend of said body. Integrally formed with the pinion 101 is a chainsheave 108 to the periphery of which is connected the forward upperterminal of a reciprocative sprocket chain 10 1, wherefrorn said chainextends rearwardly to pass over an oscillative sprocket pinion 105mounted for independent movement upon a drive shaft 106 journalled forrotation at the ends there of within the side walls of the rear portionof the body 97. The sprocket chain 10% passes under and extendsforwardly from the sprocket pinion 105 and at the forward lower end isconnected by a retracting or reversing spring 107 to the forward wall ofthe body .97.

A ratchet mechanism designated generally by the numeral 108 and operableby the ed upon the drive shaft 106, said mechanism being connected toand actuated by a pommel-shaped brake lever 118 pivotally mounted upon ahinge pin 114 adjacent the forward end of the saddle 98, as shown moreclearly in Fig. 17.

The numeral 115 designates generally the steering gear of the horse,which includes a front axle 116 having front wheels 117 rotativelymounted upon the ends thereof, said steering gear being similar inconstruction and operation to that heretofore described for the horse25.

Rigidly secured to the main shaft 99 adj acent the journalled endsthereof are forwardly and downwardly extending lever arms Connected tothe forward terminals of said lever arms 118 are the inner looped endsof reciprocative flexible stirrup cables 119, which extend upwardlytherefrom and pass over sheaves 120, rotatively mounted upon thesidewalls of the body 97 midway the length thereof, from whence theypass through openings 121 formed in the said side wall thereat andextend downwardly from said openings 121 and at their lower ends areprovided with reciprocative stirrups 122.

A removable section 123 detachably secured to the underside of the body27 permits of ready access to the interior thereof. With the operatorseated in the saddle 98 and with the feet of the same supported in thereciprocative stirrups 122, the device is propelled forwardly bydownward pressure exerted by the said operator upon the stirrups 122,which causes oscillation of the lever arms 118 and the correlatedsectorshaped gear 100 thereof, which functions to actuate the mechanismassociated therewith in the identical manner and for a similar purposeas that hereinbefore described for the sector-shaped gear 75.

in Figs. 19 to 24:. inclusive, a mobile toy horse of the caterpillartype for use upon snow or ice is illustrated, wherein propellingmechanisms of still further modified forms and operable by anoscillative saddle seat and reciprocative stirrups, respectively, areemployed.

The numeral 12 1 designates the body of the horse to the withers ofwhich an oscillative saddle seat 125 is hingedly connected Ice by ahinge pin 126. Integrally or otherwise fixedly secured to the undersideof the saddle seat 125 adjacent the forward end thereof is an offset anddepending oscillative sector-shaped gear 127 extending within the body124, slotted thereat to accommodate the same, and normally meshing witha pinion 128 mounted for independent oscillative movement upon atransversely disposedmain shaft 129 j ournalled for rotation at the endsthereof within the side walls of the body 124. The pinion 128 isconnected with and actuates a ratchet mechanism 130, of the typehereinbefore described, which is operatively connected to the main shaft129 and similarly connected by geared upfchain gearing 131 to atransversely disposed drive shaft 132 journalled for continuous rotationat the ends thereof within the side walls of the rear portion of thebody'124.

Journalled for oscillation at the ends thereof within the side walls ofthe body 124 at points thereon intermediate of and in spaced parallelrelation to the main shaft 129 and drive shaft 132 is a transverselydisposed shaft 133 having a forwardly and downwardly extendingsector-shaped gear 134 fixedly secured thereto and normally meshing witha pinion 135 mounted for independent oscillative movement upon the mainshaft 129, which pinion is connected with and actuates a ratchetmechanism 136, similar in construction to the ratchet mechanism 130, andwhich is operatively connected to the main shaft 129, whereby the chaingearing 131 is alternately actuated by said ratchet mechanisms, tothereby continuously rotate the drive shaft 132.

Rigidly secured to the shaft 133 adjacent the journalled ends thereofare forwardly and downwardly extending lever arms 13'? to the forwardlower terminals of which are connected the inner looped ends ofreciprocative flexible stirrup cables 138, which extend upwardlytherefrom and pass through openings 139. formed in the upper portions ofthe side walls of the body 124 midway the length thereof, wherefrom theyextend downwardly and at their lower ends are provided withreciprocative stirrups 140.

Retracting cables 141 having the forward ends thereof secured to andwound upon the osoillative casings of the ratchet mechanisms 130 and136, respectively, and having the rear ends connected by retractingsprings 142 to the rear end wall of the body 124, serve and functionthereat to reverse the motion of the pinions 128 and 135 and retract thecorrelated sector-shaped gears 127 and 134 thereof following each powerstroke of the latter, as will be manifest and apparent by referring toFigs. 20 and 21.

The drive shaft 132 is connected by geared up chain gearing 143 to arear axle shaft 144 transversely disposed and journalled for rotationadjacent the outwardly projecting ends thereof within the. lower portionof thehind legs of the horse and having driving sprocket wheels 145fixedly secured upon said outwardly projecting ends.

Interposed between the side walls of the hind legs of the horse and thesprocket wheels 145 are forwardly extending side bars or caterpillarframe 146 having the rearends thereof mounted upon the rear axle shaft144 and the opposite or forward ends fixedly secured in any well knownmanner to the lower ends ofythe fore legs of said horse. Rotativelymount-ed upon the forward ends of the bars .146 are sprocket wheels 147,which are connected by sprocket or caterpillar chains 148 having dogs149 attached thereto and which are guided and main tained in throughoutthe major portion of the length thereof by idler sprockets 150rotatively mounted upon the of the bars 146.

Detachably secured in spaced relation upon the underside of the hindlegs of the horse are downwardly extending longitudinally disposedrunners 151.

The numeral 152 designates generally a steering mechanism substantiallysimilar in construction and operation to the steering mechanismshereinbefore shown and de scribed, which includes a longitudinallydisposed front runner 153 detachably secured thereto, as a substitutefor and wheels employed with the horse 25. I

A brake mechanism. 154 operatively mounted upon the drive shaft 132 isconnected to and actuated by a pommel-shaped brake lever 155 pivotallymounted upon the hinge pin 126, and functions in an identical manner tothe brake mechanisms hereto-,

fore described.

The underside of the body 124 is providerv with a removable sect-ion 156detachably secured thereto for a similar purpose, as that described forthe section of the horse 25.

lVith the operator seated in the oscillative saddle 125 and with thefeet of same supported in the reciprocative stirrups 140, the devicejust described is propelled forward ly upon snow, ice, or other slipperysurfaces by hobbling movements of the body of said operator actingalternately upon the saddle 125 and the stirrups 140 causing alternateoscillations of the correlated sector-shaped gears 127 and 134 thereofand similar osproper spaced parallel relation upper and lower edges thefront axle cillations of the pinions 128 and 135 in mesh actuated topropel the device in a forward direction.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings it will be observed and noted, that the mobile toy horsesherein disclosed are readily and quickly convertible from the wheeledtype to the caterpillar type, or the reverse, whereby such mobile toyhorses may be used in the open at all seasons for propulsion upon anykind of surface and are at all times under the complete and positivecontrol of the operators thereof.

While I have herein shown and described the invention with sufficientdetail to enable those skilled in the art to understand the mode ofconstruction and the principles involved, it is to be understood thatthere is no intentional limitation herein to the specific form andprecise details of construction of the invention shown and described,except as expressly defined by the appended claims, and that variousmodifications of such construction may be resorted to without departingfrom the invention or the benefits derivable therefrom. I also desire itto be understood that certain features of the invention herein shown anddescribed may be employed in and with other combinations and animalsthan those herein shown.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. In a toy vehicle, in combination, a mobile body, a manuallyoperable oscillative seat attached thereto, spring retracted ratchetpropelling mechanism for said body interconnected with said seat foractuation thereby, and manually operable flexible stirrup-s connected tosaid propelling mechanism for alternately actuating the same relative tothe seat actuation thereof.

2. In a toy vehicle, in combination, a mobile body, a manuallyoscillative spring retracted seat attached thereto, propelling mechanismfor said body interconnected with I said seat for actuation thereby, andmanually reciprocative spring retracted stirrups connected to saidpropelling mechanism for alternately actuating the same relative to theseat actuation thereof.

3. In a toy vehicle, in combination, a steerable mobile body, amanuallyoperable seat mounted thereon, and caterpillar propelling mechanism forsaid body attached thereto and interconnected with said seat foractuation thereby.

i. In a toy vehicle, in combination, a steerable mobile body,caterpillar propelling mechanism for said body attached thereto, andmanually operable stirrups for actuating said caterpillar propellingmechanism.

5. In a toy vehicle, in combination, a steerable and controlled mobilebody, a manually operable seat mounted thereon, caterpillar propellingmechanism for said body attached thereto and interconnected with saidseat for actuation thereby, and manually operable stirrups connected tosaid caterpillar propelling mechanism for alternately actuating the samerelative to the seat actuation thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES F. ousnrnn.

